In December 2020, Katherine Katcher was elected to serve on The California Wellness Foundation’s Board of Directors. She is a social justice attorney working to create a more just and inclusive economy, focusing on growing the Ownership Economy. Katcher has 20 years of work experience in the policy and nonprofit sectors with a broad range of roles and experiences, addressing social, economic, and racial inequality.
Katcher is the Director of Partnerships & Capital Mobilization Initiatives at the Ownership Capital Lab, an organization that works to identify, pilot and support strategies to scale employee-ownership across the United States to to close the racial wealth gap, preserve small businesses, and maintain and grow quality jobs in local economies. Katcher is also a Fellow with the Just Economy Institute, a learning community for leaders and financial activists who are shifting the flow of capital and power to support the well-being of all people and the planet. Prior to her work with the Ownership Capital Lab, Katcher was the Justice Policy Lead for the Yurok Tribe, where she worked on strategies to end the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in California and nationally. Prior to her work for the Yurok Tribal Government, Katcher was the founding executive director of Root & Rebound, which works to restore power and resources to the families and communities most harmed by mass incarceration. Much of this work was focused on economic inclusion, working to reduce barriers to employment, housing, and economic opportunity.
Katcher's dedication to social and racial justice is rooted in her Jewish cultural upbringing and the moral teachings of her ancestors, understanding that when the Jewish community says, “Never Again,” it applies to all of the suffering in the world caused by state-based discrimination, racism, and oppression. She received her bachelor of arts degree in anthropology from Columbia University, where she focused her research and studies on communities living in asylum and exile. Katcher received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. She is an attorney licensed to practice in the state of California.